Ready for 2013!

The 1st of January always feels like a fresh start. A reboot.

That’s why I’m always excited to start things off right for the year: Spending time with the family. Eating good food. Moments of reflection. Creating. Reading. Dreaming of what is to come. Goal setting. Organising. Starting a new journal.

And yes, blogging.

Over the past few years, I have been making an attempt to begin the year with a blog post. Most times, I manage. And, I’m grateful each time that I do get the chance to do so.

I guess, I just can’t help it. Even before I had a blog, writing during the first day of the year is something that I love doing.

That’s why I’m here. Today.

I’m blogging to wish you all a happy new year.

And, I’m blogging to continue a lifelong tradition of writing on the first day of a new year.

So, what’s up for 2013?

Looking at my year-end reviews for the last 7 years, it’s almost tough to imagine myself keeping up and matching all the big events that have happened. Each year almost feels bigger than the last. In different ways. And, I haven’t even archived the years before these ones that I managed to blog about.

A part of me wants to keep going, to keep achieving, to keep growing… If you’ve known me long enough, you’d probably know that it’s just in my nature. I get restless with same ol’, same ol’. That’s why I love start-ups. That’s why I enjoy working for myself. That’s why I’m a tragic ideaholic.

But, there’s also a part of me that wants to embrace a bit of stillness. To step back and to see what life will bring without pushing too hard.

Not sure which part will win as days go by.

For now, I have set myself 13 goals for 2013.

Yes, I’ve kept up with my annual goal setting practice. But, unlike in previous years, this year’s goals don’t seem too big or too lofty. They’re still challenging. In fact, I’m already unsure if I can accomplish some of them. But, the challenges don’t seem too daunting.

Some project-based goals for the year include:

• Another fundraising event. Last year’s birthday fundraising was something that I really cherished. And, I’m hoping to do another one this year. I’m still looking in to the cause that I’d like to support.
• 365: Words + Pictures. This is a project that I’ve been failing every year for the past 5 years. You’d think that I should just give up and tell myself that it’s no use. That I’m simply not good with a daily practice. Nope. Not me. I’m going to give it another go. As such, I might even end up blogging more this year. More on this in another post.
• Create a WOTY project. As you know, I’ve been doing a Word of the Year for five years now. If 365 is known as a bit of an epic failure for me, WOTY is one of my biggest wins. And, I’d like to see if I can push this a little bit further in 2013. I’ll share my annual WOTY post soon!
• Explore a ‘13 Things’ idea. I’m not sure yet what I’d really do with this one. But, with my strange aversion to the number 13, I thought that this is a good year to take this head on. Already, I’ve done a ‘13 goals for 2013’ list. So, take that number 13!

Also, here’s a snapshot of some things that I’m looking forward to:

• An upcoming family road trip. To enjoy the last bits of the holiday season, my family will be on the road for some fun travel around Australia.
• My ten-year anniversary in Australia. Yes, I’ll be celebrating a decade of life here in Oz soon!
• My final year in my 30s. Ouchies. Yes, I’ll be celebrating my 39th birthday. Not sure if I can do it in style – but let’s see.
• Graduation day for my postgrad degree. Having finished my Masters’ degree late in 2012, I’m due to go up on stage to receive my degree this year. Hoping to sort out registration stuff some time.

For ShaiCoggins.com, I have a separate list of tasks in my 2013 plan. This includes:

• Launching “Notes from Shai” e-newsletter. Yes, this is due out this month and I’m hoping to send an issue out at least once a month. So, if you’re not subscribed yet, now might be a good time to do that. Really.
• Working with themes. Partly related to this year’s 365 project, and partly due to the upcoming e-newsletter, I’m planning on working with themes this year here at ShaiCoggins.com. And, believe it or not, I’ve already set the monthly themes for the whole year – and even weekly themes for the first 6 months. I’m hoping to complete the full 52 weeks of themes in the next few weeks. I’m looking forward to seeing how this will evolve.

There are a few other things coming up, but I’d like to be closer to completion when I share them here. So, do stay tuned.

For now,  let me just wish you a fantastic year ahead in 2013!